WT/TPR/ 442 
29 January  2020 
(20-0665) Page: 1/2 
Trade Policy Review Body   
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM  
COMMUNICATION FROM T HE CHAIRPERSON OF TH E TRADE POLICY REVIE W BODY  
AUSTRALIA  
Arrangements for Review Meeting  
1. In pursuance of Article  IV, paragraph  4 and Annex  3 of the WTO Agreement, a meeting of the 
Trade Policy Review Body is scheduled for 11 and 13 March 2020 to conduct the  eighth  review of 
the trade policies and practices of Australia  (WTO/AIR/ TPR/94). 
2. This c ommunication sets out arrangements  concerning the review meeting.  In this connection, 
attention is also drawn to the procedures for the conduct of reviews contained in the rules of 
procedure of the Trade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6/Rev. 4). 
3. Members' attent ion is drawn to the use of the "alternative" time -frame by Austr alia 
for submission of written questions and responses . 
1  QUESTIONS IN WRITING  IN ADVANCE OF THE M EETING AND MAIN POIN TS 
4. Members wishing to submit written questions to the Member under review should do 
so at least five weeks before the review meeting to allow replies to be submitted  one w eek 
prior to  the first session of the meeting.  For the forthcoming review, such question s should 
therefore be with the Trade  Policies Review Division of the Secretariat ( tprd@wto.org ) by 5.30 p.m., 
on Wednesday 5 February 2020, at the latest.  Delegations are encouraged to use the TPR 
Q&A online system ( https://tprqa.wto.org ) to send their advance written questions using 
the username and password provided by the Secretariat. Australia has agreed to use this 
system to provide answers to the questions submitted through the system.  
5. In accordance  with the rules of procedure of the TPRB (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4, paragraph 17), 
Members are reminded that they should group their written questions into the following three 
categories so as to facilitate responses: those related t o the Secretariat report (with a reference to 
relevant paragraph numbers); those concerning the Government report (with a reference to relevant 
paragraph numbers); and other questions.  
6. The Secretariat shall identify the main points contained in the questio ns submitted at least 
five weeks before a review meeting, post them on the Members' Website one week before the 
meeting, and distribute a revised list of main points during the first session of a review when 
questions received after the five-week deadline give rise to si gnificantly new issues. The main points 
may be found on the Members' Websi te under "Forthcoming Meetings:  Documents for Meetings".  
2  ANSWERS IN WRITING B Y THE MEMBER UNDER R EVIEW  
7. Answers by the Member under review should be distributed in writ ing. Advance questions 
submitted by the five-week deadline before the start of the TPRB review should be 
answered in writing by the Member under review one week prior to the start of the 
meeting ( 4 March 2020). Written answers will be made available on the  Members' website 
four working days prior to the meeting ( 5 March 2020). Questions posed subsequently should 
be answered, to the extent possible, before the start of the second session of the meeting. Questions WT/TPR/ 442 
 
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left unanswered at the end of the second sess ion should be answered in writing no later than one 
month after the meeting with some latitude in the Chair's discretion for Members reviewing a very 
large number of questions.  
8. In the course of the discussions at the review meeting, the Member under review may indicate 
that it intends to provide supplementary information, in writi ng, on specific points raised. Upon 
receipt, the Secretariat will circulate a document containing this information to all Members.  
3  DISCUSSANT  
9. In consultation with the Member under review, the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review Body 
may choose a discussant who, in her/his personal capacity, will introduc e the discussions in the 
Body. H.E. Mr. Julian Braithwaite  (United Kingdom ) will act as discussant  for the review of Australia . 
4  STRUCTURE OF THE MEE TING  
10. Trade policy reviews cover four broad headings:  
a. appreciation of the full range of the Member's trade policies and practices;  
b. relevant background: wider economic and developmental needs, including the external 
environment ; 
c. impact of the Member's trade policies and practices on the functioning of the multilateral 
trading syst em; and 
d. general comments by way of assessment and evaluation.  
11. Meetings take place in two sessions. The first session is devoted to the opening statemen ts by 
the Member under review and the discussant, and remarks and questions from the floor. 
The discussion in the second session, when the Member under review will reply to questions, is  based 
on main themes identified after the opening meeting by the Chai rperson, the discussant and the 
Secretariat in consultation with the Member.  
12. As indicated in the rules of procedure for TPRB meetings (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4, paragraph 21), t he 
speakers ' list will follow the order in which questions are rec eived by the Secretaria t and in the event 
of more than one batch, the final batch will determine the order of speakers.  Delegations not 
submitting written questions will continue to speak second, in the order in which their flags are 
raised.  On the day before each review meeting , the Secretariat will post on the WTO Members' 
website a provisional list of speakers for the first session of that meeting, for Members' advance 
information . 
5  DOCUMENTATION AND PR ESS ARRANGEMENTS  
13. Reports by the Member under review and the Secretariat are contained in the following 
documents:  
WT/TPR/G/ 396  Report by Australia  
 
WT/TPR/S/ 396  Australia  Report by the Secretariat  
14. The press embargo for the review of  Australia  will end at 2.00 p.m. Geneva time on  
11 March 2020. 
6  RECORD OF THE MEETIN G 
15. The record of the meeting will be circulated as a draft to Members for comments on their own 
statements and placed on the WTO website.  
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